Bulls: Skiles not at fault

Players say coach teaches in practice -- and they're listening

Beyond the bricked jumpers and, until recently, lack of defensive intensity, a popular theory for the Bulls' disappointing start is that players are tuning out fifth-year coach Scott Skiles.

"I don't think that's true," guard Ben Gordon said. "Everybody here knows what he wants. We all know what we're supposed to do and how we're going to win games, and that's to get back to what made us successful in the past. I don't think anybody is tuning him out.

"I guess that happens at this level. But with this team, we haven't experienced that. Guys are just frustrated with losing. When you're losing, nobody is happy and nobody wants to deal with it. It comes down to coaches and players, all of us, trying to do what we can to help us win more games. If we win, you won't hear all that speculation."

Both publicly and privately, players say Skiles and his staff are more direct than domineering. They say Skiles holds people accountable but does so fairly and with open communication.

Practices feature teaching, not screaming. That hasn't stopped speculation that Skiles rides his players too hard to have a long tenure with one team.

"Too many people have seen me interact with my players to buy into that," Skiles said. "We've started terribly in each year, and somehow we've righted the ship. You don't do that by riding people. You do that by coaching them, of course, as always, but also by being supportive of them and believing in them."

If anything, Skiles has acted in a far more forgiving fashion this season, especially in his comments regarding his team's unexpected struggles. Even the time he publicly blasted a player, which he has done countless times in the past, he uncharacteristically apologized to Tyrus Thomas the next day.

"I don't think he's what most people perceive him to be," Gordon said of Skiles.

Skiles' approach has evolved because he has developed a level of trust with players who have rallied from such slow starts before. And because he likes them.

"I'm trying to be supportive," Skiles said. "I feel like I am."

This approach should please general manager John Paxson, who, while making the rounds on the morning radio shows Thursday, pointed to the next month as a critical stretch to right matters and said the coaching staff must keep things positive.

Given that Skiles even has uncharacteristically offered outs for players, that shouldn't be a problem. Earlier this season, Skiles tried to pawn off Kirk Hinrich's defensive struggles on his having to guard bigger players.

"The coaches have been more consistent than any other year I can remember," Gordon said. "That's a good sign. Players need to see that people aren't panicking and that they know what we're capable of. It's a matter of us performing.

"My first couple of years he was definitely on guys because we were young and definitely needed that. Now he gives us a lot of freedom. With freedom comes a lot of responsibility. We have to go out there and do our part."

Ben Wallace, who clashed with Skiles over the team's rule prohibiting headbands last season, said the coaching staff has stayed consistent through the Bulls' 3-10 start.

"But when you're in a stretch like we're in right now where we're not playing like we want to play, nothing seems to be working," Wallace said. "We're here. We understand it. We go out and try to do it."

Similar whispers about Skiles' relentless style developed during his first NBA coaching stint with the Suns.

After taking over for Danny Ainge early in the 1999-2000 season, Skiles led the Suns to a 40-22 mark and a first-round playoff victory over the defending NBA champion Spurs.

The Suns followed with a 51-31 mark and a first-round playoff exit in 2000-01. On Feb. 17, 2002, saddled with a 25-26 mark and stories he was losing his team, Skiles resigned. Did Skiles learn from Phoenix ?

"Of course," he said. "You learn something every day you're coaching. It's hard not to unless you're just really stubborn. Each player, even the ones you have good relationships with, you learn something a little bit different about the way they play or how they handle different situations.

"You're always trying to fit with the group that you have. You can't be so rigid.

"We've had young players here. And now our guys are more veteran. You're always changing a little bit. But you also can't stray from who you are and how you think it should be done either."

And so Skiles will continue to work, regardless of the criticisms and consequences.

----------

kcjohnson@tribune.com

FULL-COURT PRESS

Read more on the Bulls on K.C. Johnson's blog at chicagotribune.com/full-court